CAIS Summit 2026

Beverly Hills | October 12–15

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Panel Discussion | October 13 | 3:30 P.M. PDT

Private Credit in Focus: Where Opportunity Meets Discipline

Private credit has evolved from a niche allocation into a core component of institutional portfolios. As the market continues to mature, investors are navigating a more competitive landscape shaped by tighter spreads, evolving borrower dynamics, and heightened focus on portfolio construction. Join Tom McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer, Barings BDC, Stephen Ketchum, Founder, CEO, and Managing Partner with Sound Point Capital Management, and Romaine Bostick, Anchor, Bloomberg TV for a discussion on where they see the most compelling opportunities today, how they are managing risk, and what distinguishes successful private credit investing in the current environment.

Featured Speakers

Thomas McDonnell serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Barings BDC (NYSE: BBDC), Co-Chief Executive Officer of Barings Private Credit Corporation, and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Barings Capital Investment Corporation. He is also a board member for Rocade LLC, a specialty finance company focused on litigation finance.

Thomas previously spent nearly two decades at Barings, where he served as a Managing Director and a member of the U.S. High Yield Investment Committee and other credit related investment committees. During his tenure, he played a key role in managing multi-strategy and global loan portfolios, navigating complex credit environments across multiple market cycles and spearheading fundraising efforts exceeding $15 billion.

Earlier in his career, Thomas held roles at Patriarch Partners, Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase, where he focused on deal structuring, credit risk management, portfolio strategy and financial planning.

Thomas is a graduate of State University of New York at Buffalo where he obtained a B.S. degree in Business Management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Accounting degree and a retired Certified Public Accountant.

Headshot of Tom McDonnell smiling at the camera.
Thomas McDonnell

Chief Executive Officer, Barings BDC

Thomas.McDonnell@barings.com

Meet the Team

Headshot of Tom McDonnell smiling at the camera.

Thomas Q. McDonnell

Chief Executive Officer, Barings BDC
Headshot of Joseph Mazzoli smiling at the camera.

Joseph Mazzoli, CFA

Head of Investor Relations & Client Development, Barings BDC
Headshot of Landon Boger smiling at the camera.

Landon Boger

Senior Director, Global Client Group
Headshot of Stefano Visca smiling at the camera.

Stefano Visca

Associate Director, Americas Intermediary Sales
Headshot of Melanie Gounardes smiling at the camera.

Melanie Gounardes

Head of U.S. Media Relations
October 12 | 6:30–9:00 P.M. PDT

Ocean Prime

Join senior leaders from Barings for an exclusive evening of dinner and drinks.

RSVP